Monday, May 16, 2011

Cloth Diapers For the Win

When I mentioned cloth diapers to my friends and family before Finn was born I was met with SO much skepticism. A lot of people thought it would be gross, thought that I was crazy, and most certainly thought I would fail. I did so much research on cloth diapering though, and had found so many moms that loved it for so many reasons. I tried arguing all of those reasons to the many skeptics... it's greener, it's cheaper, it's healthier, goshdarnit it's cuter.... but skeptics, being who they are, are not easily convinced.

I really couldn't find a good reason not to use cloth, and so here we are, and I am happy to report that I've joined the ranks of the mommas who love cloth diapering. We've been doing it since Finn was ten days old and we're not turning back. And yes, I just used "love" and "diapering" in the same sentence. Such is life now :) The first time I snapped a cloth diaper on Finn's butt I couldn't get over how much softer and nicer it seemed.

I'd be happy to try to convince anyone to do the same as us. Concerned about the cost? It's ridiculously cheaper in the long run. Concerned about the laundry? Ha! Welcome to having a baby... cloth diaper laundry will make up only a small portion of all the extra laundry you'll be doing. Anyone need to convince their husband? Cloth is healthier for baby boy parts too. Concerned about the poop? Guess what... I hear that babies who wear disposable diapers poop too! And you still have to wipe their bums. If I'm wrong about that, someone please let me know.

Most of the skeptics were picturing flat diapers and pins when I mentioned cloth, so if you didn't already know, it's not like that anymore. Flat diapers are still an option of course (although most people use non-pin fasteners), but we use the super convenient pocket-style diapers, which function a whole lot like disposables once the insert is stuffed into the pocket.

We have three different brands of diapers, and I like them all. I originally registered for what I found to be the most highly recommended one size cloth diaper- the BumGenius 4.0. Again, this is a pocket diaper, meaning that it has two parts... the outer part (which is shaped just like a disposable diaper), and an insert that fits into a pocket inside it. We have 22 of these, all with snap closures (I want them to last as long as possible and heard that the velcro closures tend to wear out). The snaps on the front allow you to change the size of the diaper to fit any baby from around eight pounds up to thirty-five. Our big boy fit into them from when we first started them at ten days on just fine, but I hear if you have a teeny kiddo they might not work at first.

We have all of these colors minus the pinks plus a couple of white ones. Love. (Also? So much cooler than those lame jean-colored disposable ones.)

We also have two Charlie Banana brand one-size diapers. I snagged these on sale at Zulily, and I'm not going to lie, I totally only got them because I liked the patterns. They are also pocket diapers, and snap on the front, but the sizing is accomplished with adjustable elastic on the leg openings in two different spots. These fit really well, are really soft, and did I mention really cute? I'd definitely recommend these as well.

Rounding out our supply is a FuzziBunz one size diaper. I was given this diaper in exchange for a review of it, and like a lot of other mommas, really like it. This diaper definitely wins out in softness over the BumGenius diapers. The liner is fleece and super soft. The pocket doesn't have a flap covering it like the BG does, and that makes it easier to unstuff... pretty nice when you're dealing with a poop-tastrophe situation. The sizing is done with adjustable elastic similar to the Charlie Banana diapers, but the FuzziBunz adjusts in four spots (waist and leg) instead of two, making it really easy to get a good fit. The only negative thing I have to say about the FuzziBunz is that the pocket is a little narrow, making it harder to stuff than the others.

I'd like to add a couple more of these to our collection. The adjustable leg openings mean that they are virtually leak-proof, and so I'd like to have more on hand for overnight use. Plus they come in some pretty fun colors:

When I first heard about cloth wipes, I admit I was totally grossed out. I mean, come on, let's draw the line here somewhere please, right? But think about changing a diaper. When you're finished with the wipe, you stick it in the dirty diaper and get rid of it, right? Well if you're using cloth, you can't do that, unless you want to send a lot of disposable wipes through your washing machine (which I did a couple of times before we switched). It's so much easier to use a cloth wipe, and throw it in with the diapers than to have a separate trash can for the wipes. My awesome friend Nina made us a huge supply of wipes out of four extra flannel receiving blankets we had laying around, and they're perfect.

There are a few different ways to use cloth wipes, including storing them wet, but we store them dry and use a spray bottle. I like to spray the wipe and hubs likes to spray the butt. Potato potahto.

The next step is SO key. Each diaper gets a few sprays of Bac-Out before being thrown in the diaper pail. I had read about this on a message board somewhere and picked up this bottle before Finn was born. I didn't realize how awesome it was until we went without it for a few days. That diaper pail was STINKY. This keeps it in check (I never even catch a whiff of diapers until I'm dumping the bag into the washing machine and even then it's not bad) and helps keep staining to a minimum as well.

Meet our fancy diaper pail:

Also known as a trash can. There is definitely no need for a fancy specialized diaper pail. This works perfectly. We use a Kissa's pail lineras a bag, and we have two so that we're never without one while we're doing laundry (the bag goes right in with the diapers).

Also helping to keep the stink at bay is one of these Munchkin Arm and Hammer Nursery Freshenersthat I stuck with velcro to the inside lid of the trash can. Like I mentioned, there is literally NO smell in Finn's nursery, so I'd say this system is working well for us :)

I'm not ashamed to admit that we keep a supply of disposable diapers and wipes on hand as well. We use cloth for short outings, but if we're going to be gone all day I go for disposables. Also, I never want to be stressed out about doing diaper laundry, so if we run out and Finn wears a disposable or two while his diapers are in the wash, it's no big deal. I was surprised to realize though, that instead of it feeling like a super convenience to use these, I actually don't like them. They leak more (all three brands that we've had), cause more diaper rash on my little guy's bum, and the flimsy disposable wipes bring me a whole lot closer to the poop than I'd prefer. Three more points for cloth.

Drawbacks to cloth? I'd say the upfront cost for sure. Registering for them could ease that a bit, but then you have to deal with lots of outside opinions on how TERRIBLE they're going to be (in my experience anyways). Also annoying is how much space they take up in your diaper bag, but I never take more than two or three with me (longer outings call for disposables). Then there is of course the added time it takes to wash cloth, but I promise you it is not bad at all (and well worth the trouble).

All of this seemed pretty confusing to me until we started doing it, so if you have any questions let me know, and I'll do my best to answer them. Also, stop by later this week if you're interested in our washing routine (fascinating I know!), and for a giveaway...

Do you or would you use cloth diapers? Have I convinced you that it's not totally awful, or do you just think I'm a weirdo for talking this much about diapers? :)

48 comments:

Will your son be going to daycare once you go back to work? I looked into cloth diapers at one point, but the daycare that we chose doesn't really have a way of dealing with cloth diapers, so we have to provide disposable ones, which made me decide to probably just do disposable all the way. Just wondered! They really are super cute though!

I was concerned about daycare and cloth diapers, too. I usually use the cloth diapers that have the removable inserts, so the shell can be used several times before being washed. For the daycare, though, I either sent all-in-ones or shells with inserts already in. Then, I sent along a wet bag for them to put the soiled diapers and I didn't expect them to do any of the pre-treating or poop removal. This way does require extra diapers and some extra time after work to take care of the diapers, but in a way it's not too much extra time if you do them all at once. There definitely is an extra investment in time for cloth diapers, but the other benefits outweigh this inconvenience.

Thanks for posting all this info! While not pregnant now we're doing some thinking and planning and going the cloth route seemed like something I wanted to learn more about for sure. I'll be saving this post to reference for the (hopefully soon) future!

I have an odd fascination with cloth diapering posts for someone who is not "with child"... Thusly, this one has been added to my "baby" tab for safe keeping! Oh yes, we WILL be cloth diapering that bambino when he or she decides to get conceived already!

We are not even trying yet but I know several people either through work or friends who are cloth diapering and love it. I am looking forward to hearing about your washing routine and any future advice you can give so I wont feel totally lost in the future.

I've been totally flip-flopping and was leaning towards disposables but after lots of reading and research a girlfriend of mine and I decided to purchase a Bummis starter pack and split it (we're both due in July). Your take on cloth diapering is absolutely convincing! :o) BTW, your little tyke looks like a doll! So cute!

I don't think I've ever thought that one is absolutely better than the other when it comes to the cloth vs disposables debate. Like it practically every baby-related decision, it really comes down to whatever is best for the family.

That being said, I'm absolutely happy with my disposables. Claire, now 7 months old, has never gotten diaper rash and we've never had leaking issues either. And I'm not sure if cloth would have been the wisest decision for us seeing that she poops 2-3x a day regularly and that water + gas in our area is soooo expensive.

Thanks for all of the details! I am starting to stock up for our baby due in August. I haven't heard of Charlie Banana- too cute! One thing I've been wondering about using the cloth on newborns- can you fold down the front easily while their belly button heals or do you think it might be easier to just use disposables until then? Also- how do you like that changing pad? We've got one on our registry. :)

Thanks for the notes - we're expecting a little one in 6 weeks (yikes!) and plan on cloth diapering. I'd heard great things about the bumgenius 4.0 (and that's mostly what I registered for), but it's good to know how other brands compare (in case we don't like the bumgenius). Also, the charlie bananas are ridiculously cute!

So glad it is going well for you! Yes, people criticized our decision, too, and told us we would fail. People are so surprised to find that we are still going strong on cloth! Our daycare provider even said she was skeptical at first, but she agrees that there is no diaper rash and that they really don't leak.

Oooh! Thanks for all these stink-fighting tips! And the regular trash can is genius, because, hey, you won't need a diaper pail forever, right?

I'm pretty sold on the idea of cloth, and I think the hubs is coming around to it, too, but I have to say the cloth wipes gave me pause. I hadn't even thought of cloth wipes. Now I'll have to ponder that one a bit more. Glad we have some time...

Count me as a reader who's weirdly interested in your washing routine. Keeping the washing hassle to a minimum is going to be the make-or-break issue for cloth diapers, methinks.

wow, after reading the comments I can't believe how many other not-yet-moms are looking forward to cloth diapering their own babies (myself included). First PhD, then move, THEN we can stop practicing and start making tiny people of our own. Until then, I'm going to keep borrowing other peoples' (because as much as I love snuggles, it's still nice to give back a fussy baby to someone else and know it's not my problem [yet])

I'm looking forward to your washing post :) We are due in August and are planning on using BG Elemental (all-in-one, snap/one-size). I was heavily influenced by the Young House Love cloth diapering posts. Do you hose poop into the toilet like they do? Is there a reason you wanted the pocket (BG 4.0) instead of the all-in-one? We also get confused comments from ppl re: cloth diapering. I like them for many reasons, but my favorite is all the money we will save!

Great post! Our son is a month old today and we are loving cloth diapering too. My husband is really into it.. more so than I thought he would be. We have some BG 4.0's and I've found that the happy heiny's fit my son really well, so we have stocked up on those. We also are liking the oh katy's on him. It really is such an addiction. I agree about the cloth wipes, they are much softer and easy to just throw in the pail to wash!

I've had hits and misses with cloth diapers. Removing a full-size poop is definitely the down side (2.5 yr old). However, I'm definitely going to give it a run when we've got our own munchkins. My personal fave are g-diapers. I love that they can be cloth OR disposable!

I looked into cloth diapering and in the end settled for the convenience of disposables, though I love that so many people are committing to cloth now. Maybe something to look into for baby #2, though I gotta give birth to this one first! I'm actually excited to learn about the washing process...I read somewhere that if you have a front loading or energy efficient washer that it won't provide enough water to get the diapers clean enough. Do you know if there's any truth to that?

Thanks so much for this post. I'm sending it to my husband to read too. We're definitely planning on a disposable/cloth combo plan like y'all are doing. I'm glad to hear it's working out for you. I hope it works out for us too!

Seriously - I love your blog. I've always thought that I would use cloth diapers when we have kids but none of my friends use them & there are no delivery/pickup&wash services in our area. First you kept your blonde hair while pregs, now this - you're officially moving up my hero list. ;)

It's never too late to start CD'ing. Thanks to you, my buddy, we started to do CD with our 2 year old about three months ago. Our experience is a little different with an older child. All pee, more concentrated. We will be doing CD with our new baby too. As someone asked earlier about daycare, my recommendation is to make it as easy as possible for them. The pocket diapers offer that convenience. As long as you pre-stuff them and provide a bag to bring home the wet ones, our daycare provider had no problems going from disposables to cloth. Our bag has a handle on it so she can hang it on the corner of the changing table and it zips shut. So instead of tossing the diapers into a trash can, she tosses them into the bag. I can comment later about our wash routine, as we have a front loader HE washer.

Love this post! And, even though we are nowhere near to the baby stage at this point, I really think that we'll want to cloth diaper our future children (and I bet we'll get a ton of opinions as well...I just know it), so this is so interesting to read! I totally agree: the cloth diapers are SO MUCH cuter than the disposables. But I agree with some others: I want to hear about washing them...

Awesome post. I just did a post on CDs also. My son Logan is just a week or two younger than Finn.

We love cloth diapers as well, and I'm just getting started with cloth wipes. It sure is a pain to throw out disposable wipes in a separate trash can. I'm also going to try the bac-out. We haven't had too many issues with lingering smell, but when I open the can I definitely get a whiff.

Great post! I thank you for all this cohesive information, Im due in September, and I want to register for cloth diapers. Could you tell me how you did that? It seems like a good variety of diapers is useful, so on average how many diapers is a good start?

Thanks for the info! I am due in September with my first and am set on cloth diapering, so it's always good to hear of moms having a good experience with it. I just can't stand the thought of all those diapers going in to a landfill somewhere-it seems so irresponsible! I am finding that most cloth diapers have to be ordered online, so I may not get many or any by registering for them. Boo.Anyway, thanks again for the tips!

Before you had Mr. Finn, I hadn't even thought about the idea of cloth diapering. Now you have me convinced - is that weird since I don't have a baby, I'm not pregnant, and my husband is now halfway across the world? My only concern is that when the day comes, we will probably have to use a lot of daycare. I imagine that would be a big problem. Oh crap, I have the baby itch.

We've got 24 of the BumGenius Elementals for Caeden and I am IN LOVE! We started using them last week (he wasn't quite big enough for them before that) and I'm in the same boat as you- I'm surprised at how much I dislike disposables now. We've also got a stash of disposables on hand that were given to us at our baby shower and I'm glad we have them for certain circumstances, but I'm all about using our cloth as much as possible! Caeden was getting a nasty diaper rash just before we switched over to the cloth and now, without any treatment, the rash is just about gone. Finn and Caeden are such cool dudes in their cloth diapers :)

Thank you for doing this post! My husband and I have already decided we will cloth diaper (we are still at least 1.5 years away from getting pregnant). We would rather save the money and the environment!

Even though we've made the decision, we were both still a little nervous about how it might all work, but your post really makes me feel comfortable with our decision! I will definitely be coming back here whne our time comes!

@Justin: We prefer the pockets over the all-in-ones because they dry a lot faster, you can separate the inserts from the liners and let the liners air dry which will help them to last longer (than if they went in the dryer), and you have options in terms of what inserts you use (ie. we add an extra hemp insert overnight). Stuffing them is really not that big of a deal! Lots of people love the AIO style though...hope that helps!

Love your post :) We've been using cloth on our daughter since she was about 10 days old also, she will be 1 in just 4 weeks!! I'm going to have to try the bac-out on the diapers, I hadn't heard that before. Great tips and hopefully people wont be so harsh from now on! I thought my friends and family would flip when we told them we were using cloth, but, my sister (no kids, very prissy haha) plans to use cloth, and my cousin (currently pregnant, also somewhat prissy) also just told me she's using cloth! :) keep sharing your love of fluff and you'll have more friends using cloth before you know it!

Thanks for all of this helpful info! One question: what kind of bleach do you use on your BumGenius diapers? I'm reading all kinds of conflicting information about bleach. Again, really appreciate this blog and wish you and your family well.

Wow so lovely post! I just read it twice. Your baby is looking so adorable. Thanks for all the information.Many people choose to use cloth diapers because of environmental reasons or because they feel it's more comfortable for the child. Some people use cloth to be more natural or to keep chemicals away from their baby's skin. Baby cloth diapers